Walmart recently announced cuts of 450 positions at its headquarters. Dollar Tree announced the elimination of 370 positions (115 of those unfilled currently) at its headquarters. JC Penney followed suit, announcing plans to cut 300 of its 3,400 home office positions. All are stating cuts are to reduce expenses.
JC Penney still plans to hire 30,000 seasonal workers at the store level. In a statement the company said JC Penney is working to achieve its financial growth targets, and it is essential that operations align with the strategic priorities of the company. Over the last several months, the company has been evaluating its home office structure to identify opportunities for greater simplification and higher productivity.
Walmart’s announcement indicated the job cuts are coming at a time when Walmart is investing billions into its e-commerce to better compete with Amazon. “Our customers are changing, retail is changing and we must change. We need to become a more agile company that can easily adapt to shifting customer demand,” CEO Doug McMillon told about 18,600 employees at its headquarters.
Sources: Chain Store Age and Fortune